The Only One
by AGladerGirl
Summary: Being the only girl in the Glade presented many challenges... but being the only one also provided a particular benefit. I saw the way his eyes fell on me, the way he subtly showed how he wanted more than to just be at my side. To be the only one meant that I could easily have him, and all to myself. Thomas&OC.
1. My Arrival to the Glade

**Part I**  
My Arrival to the Glade

* * *

Terrified, I tucked my face into the top of my knees as a siren began to ring all around me. Lights from unknown places flickered all different colors, but I wrapped my arms around my legs and squeezed them tightly, trying to convince myself that this experience had to end.

 _Why am I here?_ I thought with difficultly as the siren blared. _And why can't I remember anything beyond the last few minutes of waking up?_

The stress of the siren and my failing memory made tears roll down my cheeks. The large cage like box I was in was moving upward fast, bringing me and many other things to an unknown place. I only brought my face from my knees when suddenly the dark box was penetrated with light, and the speed at which it moved quite noticeably declined.

Staring up, I gazed in wonder as all I saw above me was a beautiful sky, and then suddenly, many bodies with unclear faces surrounded every side of my newly opened prison.

"It's a girl!" I heard a male voice shout, in which a dozen more male voices began chattering excitedly.

Although I had wanted nothing more than to leave the box only moments ago, it felt like home now that the siren had shut off, and kept me a comfortable distance from the strangers above me. To my horror one young man dropped down into metal cage, his feet landing just inches from me. Immediately he extended his hand, and in his eyes I thought I saw great sympathy.

"I'm here to help you," he said, shaking his hand a little as an encouragement for me to take it.

His hair was short, dark, and his body quite lean. Blinking, I slowly lifted my arm and placed my hand in his. Though I had no idea whether I could trust him or any of the other strangers, I felt I might have to, just at this moment, out of necessity. My hand wasn't in the young man's for long before he quickly and easily pulled me to my feet, an action that startled me. Quickly I wiped the tears from my cheeks as he guided me toward a box to step on, causing many more hands to suddenly extend forward to finish lifting me out.

Both my hands fell inside two others after stepping on the box, and easily two boys lifted me into the air before my feet were set gently upon the earth. The sight of green grass and trees took me aback, and although I felt like an idiot in front of them, I began to cry again.

"This is called the Glade," one boy said, revealing a British accent as he came up beside me. "Don't worry about us. We'll take care of you here. We all take care of each other."

Despite his willingness to speak, none of the fifty or so boys around me made a sound. I glanced at the boy who'd spoken to me, quickly taking in his blond hair and very young appearance. Turning, I faced all the young men around and behind me. With great hope I searched for another friendly female face among them, but quickly realized... _I was the only one_.

From the crowd emerged the dark haired boy that had first dropped into the cage to get me. He came up to me quickly, concern and sympathy still in his eyes.

"I'm going to take her to the Homestead," he announced to the group. "She'll need some time to adjust before... dealing with all of us."

The chatter among the boys started again, but no one spoke up to disagree. The dark haired boy put his hand on my nearest elbow and turned me back toward the Glade. Without thought I followed him as he lead me across the grass swiftly, leaving the entire group behind. Stealing a look at him, his gaze was set ahead of us and determined.

Though I felt the urge to ask him his name, I refrained as we neared an over-sized and clearly handmade hut. When the young man pushed aside the twiggy door, I stepped through quickly, and again he directed me through a large space and down a short hallway, where we confronted another door made of many small branches.

The dark-haired boy stepped in front of me as he opened it, then motioned for me to take a look inside. Cautiously I stepped forward and did so, though my eyebrows furrowed in confusion. The room was small, and many different kinds of supplies were inside-including what looked to be a very crudely fashioned mattress.

"It's not much," the boy said, his voice gentle. "But it will give you privacy, and a chance to relax until it comes back."

My eyebrows remained furrowed as I looked at him. "Until it comes back?"

"Your name," the dark haired boy said. "Mine came back the first night I was brought here. I'm Thomas."

"Thomas..." I said, liking the way it sounded, and happy to finally have some information about the handsome stranger.

"Enjoy your alone time while you can. As the only girl here... I'm not sure how long it will last."

Nodding, I stepped forward into the room, and Thomas gave me a long look before closing the door. I'm sure I was as strange to him as he and everyone else was to me. Stepping forward I approached the crude little mattress, made of different pieces of clothing stitched together and stuffed with straw and grass. I sat down on it and leaned my back against the wall of the room, closing my eyes and taking deep breaths.

If the rest of the boys were gentle like Thomas, I knew I could easily come to trust them. The fact that he said my name would soon return started to fill me with excitement.

 _One good thing to look forward too..._

* * *

I woke to a knocking on the room door. Quickly I sat up and realized I had fallen asleep, my body having slid horizontally along the mattress, which was surprisingly comfortable.

"May I come in?" a voice said.

"S-sure," I replied, sitting up and drawing my legs close to me.

The door to the room opened, and in stepped a young man I'd never met. His skin was dark, but the expression on his face was kind.

"I hope you don't feel too overwhelmed, but if so, it's normal," he said, walking over and squatting in front of me. "I'm Alby, the leader of this group. As you might have guessed, you're our only girl, but there's no reason you shouldn't find some happiness here like the rest of us."

"Happiness?" I questioned. "Who put us here? How long are we staying? Thomas said I would remember my name, but why were my memories taken?"

Every question poured out of me like water from a broken dam. I thought I had said too much, but it turned out not to matter.

"All of those are good questions, but it's wise not to give you too much information. Let it come in pieces-like first, your name. As for happiness, none of us want to stay in the Glad forever, but some of us have been here a few years already. If you don't try to find the good here, well... just try to find it."

His soft smile was comforting, though I didn't know what else to say.

"Would you like to come out?" he said. "I know Thomas thought you might enjoy some time here, but you're not our prisoner."

"Well thank you," I said with a smirk, starting to feel a tad more normal. "I guess I am ready to go back outside."

"Good," Alby said, suddenly firm. "I'm about to call a meeting with the rest of the Gladers, and it's going to be about you."

In another large, hand-made hut similar to the one Thomas had led me to, I sat on a bench in a circular room. Alby was standing in the middle of it, and one by one the boys filed in, sitting down on the many benches that filled the outskirts of what I thought was the meeting hall.

My bench had no others in front of it, and the few boys who sat on it sat at the opposite end.

 _Great._ I thought. _Maybe I'll be avoided like the plague. Maybe that won't be such a bad thing._

Though I hadn't planned to look for Thomas, I suddenly remembered him and started to search all visible faces. When at last I spotted him, he was sitting directly across the room from me, and his eyes quickly shifted to Alby.

"Gentlemen, boys," Ably began, speaking loudly as the last few boys sat. "As we're all aware, we had a special member of the Glade arrive today."

Looking to his left, Ably extended his arm in my direction, pointing me out. I blushed.

"She doesn't remember her name yet, but I thought we might as well begin making some things clear, for the good of us all. She is not to be cat-called, teased, treated differently or most importantly... _dated_... by any of us. I could say more, but I'll leave it to your imaginations to make it clear."

There was a sudden snicker throughout the crowd, and I really wished I had told Alby I wanted more time in the supply room, as stupid as it sounded. Compared to where I was, and how embarrassed I suddenly felt, the supply room was heaven. (I'd even take the metal box that delivered me here).

"So when you say date, we can't take her into the maze for a good time?" one glader said, causing some others to laugh again.

Immediately I forgot my embarrassment, and raised my eyebrows. _What did he say? A MAZE?_

"I second Alby," a strong voice said, and the person it belonged to suddenly stood up. Across the room, a strong and intimidating looking blond had risen, his chest puffing.

"Thank you Gally," Alby said. "And if anyone is caught violating these new rules, the dirt jail is where they'll wind up. If that doesn't sound unpleasant enough, don't tempt me to change your mind. We simply cannot afford a child in the Glade."

 _A CHILD?!_ I shouted incredulously my mind, my jaw falling open. _Of course there will be no children here, and certainly not my own!_

My hands immediately gripped the edge of the bench on either side of my thighs. Although I wanted nothing more than to run outside the doors of the meeting hall and away from all of them, I fought to keep myself under control.

"Also, Thomas and I have discussed and decided that the supply room in the Homestead hut will be converted into her own private space. Seems the least we can do for a lady in these circumstances."

The meeting then shifted from me and to other concerns about the Glade, before Alby finally dismissed us all. Because I wasn't sure what to do, or if Alby wanted to speak to me, I remained where I was as most of the boys rose and left. Many eyes were cast in my direction as the room cleared, but I soon took to staring at the dirt floor.

"I hope I didn't put you in an awkward spot," I heard Ably say, causing my head to lift. "But it was necessary for the boys to have boundaries, and for you to hear them. If anyone of them ever violates what I said or does something else you don't like, let me know Greenie."

I couldn't help but smile, despite the fact that he had put me in an awkward spot. Alby had just been looking out for me, and in a strange place like this one, I could use it.

"Greenie?" I questioned.

"Yeah. It's what we call the no-namers until they remember their name."

"Has anyone ever _not_ remembered?"

"No. Don't worry. You will."

I nodded, accepting his encouragement. Yawning, I glanced through the open doors of the meeting hall, realizing the sun had almost set. With everything I had been through that day, exhaustion was being to hit me. At that time, another boy stepped forward beside Alby, the last one that remained. Warmth and gladness filled me when I saw it was Thomas.

"I'll walk her back to the Homestead," he offered, looking at Alby.

Alby nodded. "I trust you'll be keeping an eye out for her Thomas, along with Newt and I."

"I will," he said, nodding.

My smiled widened.

* * *

The sun had gone down by the time Thomas and I walked back across the grassy land to the Homestead. Many gladers had already lit torches for the night, and they glowed almost beautifully all around the clearing.

"Thank you," I said to Thomas, hoping I wouldn't sound like an idiot. "Thank you, I mean, for being kind to me so far. I still can't believe there is nothing I remember before this place, or even my name. I feel like a nobody."

I saw Thomas smile, and he may have laughed at me a little. "You're not a nobody. None of us know why or who put us here, so everything you're feeling is shared by all of us. When you remember your name you'll start to feel more normal. And if..."

After several seconds and Thomas not appearing as though he wanted to continue, I pressed him.

"And if... what?"

"Well, I was just going to say, if you want someone to protect you, to keep an eye out for you... I'd be willing to do it," he said, his voice low.

I blinked, watching as his thin, handsome face seemed to try to hide something.

"Yes..." I said. "You, Alby, and someone named Newt, right?"

"Right."


	2. My Name

**Part II  
** My Name

* * *

The next morning I woke with someone knocking on my door again. Rubbing my eyes with my fingers, I sat up and straightened my clothes before saying, "Come in!"

When the door opened, I was surprised to see someone I hadn't really met before. And I say really, because the young man only spoke to me when I first came out of the metal box.

"Good mornin'" he said pleasantly. "In case none of these goons have told you, I'm Newt."

Standing up, I offered him a smile. "I've heard you mentioned, and you told me this place was the Glade yesterday."

"Right I did," Newt replied, his good-natured attitude refreshing. "Anyhow, I've come to help you clean this place out. Not fitting for a girl to be with all the supplies-don't tell me. You didn't have a blanket last night?"

Rubbing my arm, I shook my head, though I hadn't noticed. As soon as Thomas and I parted outside of the Homestead, I came into the room and crashed on the mattress, immediately asleep.

"I guess I didn't, but I didn't notice," I said quickly. "Thanks Newt for coming to help."

"Not a problem lady," he said, filling his arms with different supplies before stepping out.

Not wanting to leave him with all the work, I gathered a few things and followed him out, where I saw Newt had dumped everything in a wheel barrel. I took the opportunity to gaze around the Glade, to see how everything seemed lively and green beneath the morning sun. Closing my eyes, I took in a deep breath of air, realizing I was experiencing my first moment of joy in the Glade.

 _This must be what Alby was talking about... finding the good..._

"Hey you two."

My eyes snapped open. Approaching Newt and I was Thomas, his brow furrowed with curiosity.

"Good morning!" I said to him. "Newt was helping me clean out the room-er, my room."

"Could use as many hands as available mate," Newt said, turning to go back inside the Homestead.

Thomas nodded at him before switching his eyes to me. He stood only inches in front of me, and I had to admit, I was swooned, suddenly, by his tall and masculine physique.

"Get your name back yet?" he asked genuinely.

I shook my head, the corner of my mouth turning down. "No... no name yet."

He sighed. I grinned.

"Disappointed?"

"I just know what if feels like to be without some shred of identity. I hate to think you're still stuck in that."

"Oh," I said, tucking a strand of my brown hair behind my head.

Thomas cleared his throat. "Anyway, I guess I'll get to helping Newt. You need a blanket, don't you?"

Staring at him, I nodded.

* * *

After the three of us had finished taking all manner of things out of my new room, I couldn't help but notice something, something I wondered if they noticed anymore, or simply had gotten used too.

"I'm off to check on the gardening," Newt told Thomas and I as we stood outside of the Homestead hut. I smiled at him, and feeling the impulse to touch him, I set a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks for everything, Newt."

The corner of his mouth turned up and he winked at me before striding away, extending an arm toward Thomas to bid him goodbye. But as soon as Newt left us alone, I noticed the unpleasant thing again-the smell that I was emitting.

"Thomas," I said suddenly, my pulse quickening.

Immediately Thomas looked at me. "Yeah?"

"I, ah, well-where do we get clean around here?"

Thomas raised his eyebrows, and I watched as the edge of his ears became slightly pink. "You mean, where do we bathe?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Oh," he said, looking down and putting his hands in his pockets. "I'll ah, show you. Follow me."

Because of the awkward tension that now settled between us, I followed a few steps behind him, hating and loving the fact that I was on my way to a bath. I hadn't meant to make Thomas feel uneasy, but I was starting smell, and secretly hoped he might follow my lead, though after I had finished, of course.

On the other side of the Glade near the meeting hall, a tall rectangle like box had been erected, and to this Thomas led me. He knocked before opening the door, and stepping beside him I peaked inside. One half of the rectangle room was flat, and the other had a large hole dug in it, outlined by a blue tarp that held a considerable amount of water. What was more, I noticed this bathing area had no sort of ceiling, though it stood higher that most boys here.

"Good thing you mentioned this now. Never bathe toward the end of the day if you don't want to clean yourself with the dirty water of ten or so guys," Thomas said.

I grimaced. "Is the water, at least, warm?"

Thomas frowned and shook his head. "I'm afraid it's going to be cold."

I sighed, but hey, it was better than nothing.

"How do I make sure no one walks in?"

"Normally we hang our clothes over the top of the door, but for you... I can stand guard."

Smiling, I felt a great impulse to hug him, but refrained. I stepped inside, and watched as Thomas closed the door. Out of caution, I waited nearly thirty seconds before I began to remove my long sleeved shirt and shorts, slowly at first but then hastily.

 _If anything happens... they might not be able to see much if I'm beneath the water._

When I stood in nothing but my own skin, I stepped toward the dug out bath, letting my toe touch the water. With a frown I realized Thomas had not been exaggerating. I took a deep breath before I forced myself to sink into the water, goose bumps immediately popping up all along my skin. To the right of me I noticed a small bowl, and picking it up, there was some sort of white liquid inside, but it smelled good. Without a second thought I began to rub it throughout my hair and along my body, desperate to be within the realm of decent hygiene.

When I had nearly finished I suddenly stopped scrubbing, for I heard footsteps approaching the bath house. Frozen, I listened as I heard Thomas speak quietly to someone who sounded familiar, though it took me a minute or so to realize who it was.

I started to scrub again, eager to finish and get back into my clothes before I felt strange, as though someone were watching me. Looking over, I saw a pair of eyes suddenly disappear from the top of the bath house wall.

It was Gally.

* * *

As soon as I stepped out of the bath house, Thomas moved away from the door. My heart was pounding and I felt somewhat sick, all these things showing clearly on my face, which Thomas did not miss.

"What's wrong?" he asked, extending his arms toward me for a moment before dropping them.

 _Had he wanted to touch me?_

Shaking my head, I said, "I think someone was _spying_ on me. In fact, I _know_ it."

In the short time of knowing him, I had never seen Thomas look so serious as he did then.

"Who?" he asked firmly.

I blinked, suddenly not wanting to accuse someone I hardly knew, but knowing I had to do it, anyway.

"Thomas... I think it was Gally."

A muscle in his jaw tightened visibly. "Oh yeah?" he said, suddenly sounding dangerous. My heart skipped a beat. But before I could say anything, Thomas turned around and began marching south of the bath house, where I could see Gally distantly, chatting with a few other gladers.

 _I wonder what he's telling them..._ I though angrily.

Hurriedly I followed behind Thomas, who I wondered about how he handled his anger. Fight? Yell? Threaten? Truthfully, I didn't care what he did, but if it led to him getting hurt... I hoped I could intervene.

"Gally!" Thomas shouted, when he had come within several feet of him.

When Gally's gaze suddenly shifted to Thomas, he smirked and crossed his arms, showing no fear of him at all.

"Got a problem Shank?" he replied loudly.

"I don't know, do you?" Thomas said at normal volume, now that he stood only a foot from him. "Did you peek in on the new girl, after I told you she was in the bath house?"

Several boys that stood around them made an "Ooo-ing" sound. I stopped less than five feet away from them full of fear, both of what may happen, and what Gally may have seen.

"I wouldn't go around accusing people of what you didn't see," Gally retorted, his anger mounting.

Instantly my hand flew to cover my mouth as Thomas charged into Gally, his arms around his waist while his shoulder collided with Gally's gut. At once the two were rolling around on the ground, grunts and the sound of punches filling the air. The boys around them tried to break it up, and I too suddenly stepped forward, shouting.

"Thomas! Don't fight him! Give it up!"

I then realized I never should have said a thing, because the fight intensified before the other boys managed to pull them apart.

"Don't fight me shank!" Gally shouted, his nose and mouth bloody. "You're lucky it ended there."

"Leave the girl _alone_ ," Thomas demanded, his own nose bleeding, along with a few cuts along his jaw.

He shrugged off the boys who were holding onto him, and I stepped forward, my eyes wide.

"A-are you okay?" I sputtered, feeling guilty, and like an idiot.

"I'm fine," Thomas said, though he still held a dangerous look in his eye. "Come on, it's time to tell Alby."

* * *

That night I lay upon the empty mattress in my room, facing the wall. Earlier, Thomas had sought out Alby, and after explaining the situation, Alby guaranteed Gally would be put on trial the next day. I began to wish I hadn't already caused some drama in the Glade, for I had hoped to simply fade and become one of the guys. But then I realized I hadn't really caused the drama-Gally had-and he should go on trial.

 _The boys will always stare at me anyway... what difference does this make?_

My eyelids fluttered as I grew increasingly tired, thankful to be accompanied by a blanket this time. Before slipping into dreams, my last thoughts were about Thomas, and I smiled a little at how he had so eagerly and bravely defended me that day.

 _My fingers interwined with that of a young man's. Looking up, I knew the face they belonged too. Thomas._

 _Some sort of dark room surrounded us, and there was music and many flashing lights, along with numerous people our own age._

 _"It'll be alright, I promise," his quiet, confident voice said._

 _I raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"_

 _"Of course. They're the only hope we have left in this world."_

 _I sighed, and stared at the crowd which we stood along side of. "What about them? Will they just be left in this waste?"_

 _Thomas shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. But not you, Adley."_

 _I gazed down at our entwined fingers. I had just met this young man, but he seemed to know a better way in this world, a way he wanted to share with loners like me. I shouldn't turn him down-I had no good reason to. Looking up, his warm smile made my defenses fall, and I thought if there was anyone I could trust, it should be him._

 _"Alright. Promise you'll come back for them, or at least some of them."_

 _He nodded. "I promise. Now let's go."_

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hopefully this was another good chapter! I'm loving writing this story, and I'm loving giving Thomas some romance! It's light now, but trust me, more is to come :) Also, since I'm a perfectionist, PLEASE PM me if you find major spelling errors or anything else that distracts from reading, so I can improve the experience. Thanks!


	3. The Plan

**Part III  
** The Plan  


* * *

"I'm Adley!"

Like a maniac, I ran through the Glade the next morning, at what I imagined would have been around ten o'clock. My sole pursuit was Thomas, for I wanted to share the good news: _I knew my name!_

Other gladers I ran by cheered, shouting "She's Adley!" before going back to work. I flashed a smile at all of them as I ran stupidly amid the calmness, wondering where on earth Thomas could be.

I soon came upon Newt as he tended the gardens, and without thought, I threw my arms around him as he stood up from bending over.

"I'm Adley!" I exclaimed, giggling. "I know my name!"

"Excellent!" Newt shouted, returning my embrace politely. "But I may still call ya Greenie."

"What's all the commotion?"

Out of nowhere Thomas appeared, wiping dirt from his fingers with an equally dirty rag. Apparently, he had been working somewhere in the garden, but it was doubtful he'd miss my shouts.

"You really don't know what it's about, Tommy?" Newt said jokingly, kneeling down toward the ground again. "Our girl is Adley now. She remembers."

Thomas nodded, smiling. "Congradualtions... Adley."

Immediately my cheeks flushed. The way my name rolled perfectly off his tongue; the way small smudges of dirt lay across his cheeks and how the sun hit his eyes... I began to feel something I had never felt for anyone, before.

Though I wanted to hug him as I had hugged Newt, I simply held out my hand, refraining again. Thomas raised an eyebrow as he considered my gesture.

"Just shake it," I said. "Before I feel stupid."

Thomas wrapped his large fingers around mine, and shook my hand gently. His palm was warm, and I sensed a fair amount of unused strength. His hand lingered around mine, until a sudden shout made him drop it.

"Gally's trial is about to begin!" a glader shouted as he jogged passed various groups. "Alby wants all gladers to go to the meeting hall!"

I looked away from the messager and met Thomas's eyes, which held a slight bit of the danger I'd once seen in them before he attacked Gally.

"Come on Adley, let's go."

* * *

After the trial, in which Gally was sentenced to spend a week in the dirt jail, Thomas and I left the meeting hall with the other gladers. The trial had been even more uncomfortable than the meeting Alby called about setting the _rules_ regarding me and the other gladers, but now that it was over, I was pleased some justice had been given. Also, every glader now knew my name.

I wasn't sure exactly where we were going, but Thomas seemed to walk with a destination in mind, so I followed him without question. He led me to a part of the Glade where few gladers hung around, and no huts had been built. Without warning he plopped down on the grass, his legs crossed and his elbows resting on his knees.

Immediately I followed suit and stared at him, wondering what was going on in his mind.

"Are you satsified?" I asked him gently.

Thomas turned his head a little and looked at me. "Are you?"

I shrugged. "I suppose I am, though I don't think he saw anything. I was already down in the water and that white soapy stuff covered the top of it."

Thomas snorted. "I told him you were in there, and the jerk went ahead and peaked at you. More should have been done to him than a week in the dirt jail."

Suddenly I furrowed my eyebrows. "Wasn't he a main supporter of the rules Alby made about me? I seem to remember him standing up and agreeing with them a few days ago."

"That's one of the annoying things about him. He likes to act like he's part of the authority around here, but when it comes to following the rules, or even acting decent, he does what he wants."

Sighing, I put my hands in the grass behind me and leaned back. From where Thomas and I sat, we were facing one of the many giant walls that kept us from leaving.

"Who put us here, Thomas?" I said thoughtfully, twirling a blade of grass. "And what is beyond these walls? I've noticed the doors that open in the morning and close at night, though I can't seem to imagine anything hopeful lays beyond them. My first day here, I heard someone mention something about a maze."

Thomas sighed. His eyes were fixed on the wall. "We don't know exactly who put us here, and beyond the doors _is_ a maze. Few of us have ever been inside it because Alby only allows a certain few-the Runners-to go in every day and map it out. But I... well, I'd like to go inside some time and figure things out for myself."

"Why don't you?"

"Because no one survives a night in the maze, or at least that's what they all say."

"No one survives?" I repeated, my eyes widening. "What's out there?"

"Creatures, man killers," he replied. "They're called Grievers."

I watched as Thomas's eyes fell away from the wall and moved up and down my outstretched legs. Although I experienced a moment of satisfaction, I blurted: "I suppose if they only kill men, I can go in and figure things out for you."

He shook his head. "Promise me you'll never go in there."

"Why?" I said, playfully defensive as I shoved his shoulder. "You don't think I'm tough?"

"You might be tough, but the creatures are deadly."

Not having a come-back, I fell silent, thinking. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Thomas watching me, curious perhaps, but he may have just been gazing at my legs again.

"What if we explored it together?" I asked him suddenly, quietly. "What if when no one was looking... we went inside, and tried to find some answers?"

The expression on Thomas's face I couldn't understand fully, for it seemed to be a mix of many thoughts and emotions. Absently he stared at the ground and pulled out some blades of grass, while I remained silent.

"Are you sure it's something you'd really want to do?" he said at last, bringing his eyes to mine.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure."

"Tommy!"

At the same time our bodies twisted around to see Newt distantly, waving and beckoning Thomas to return to the gardens. "We need your help, mate!"

"I'm coming Newt!" he called, and afterward rose to his feet, an action I mimicked.

"Think they'll give me a job around here?" I said quickly, not wanting to be parted from him quite yet.

Thomas shrugged. "I doubt it. Might make some of them feel awkward to order you around."

I smiled. "So it's a plan, then? We're going into the maze?"

Concern flickered across Thomas's face, but he nodded. "Yeah, but we'll need to wait until I have a day off from my duties, otherwise, they'll wonder where I am. Let me talk to Newt, and I'll let you know."

Nodding, I watched as Thomas then turned from me and hastily made his way to Newt, who leaned on a garden hoe waiting for him. Though I secretly loved Thomas's concern for me, a great desire to know what lay beyond the walls was beginning to grow in my heart, a desire I assumed had already planted itself firmly inside of Thomas.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hmm, a lot of takers and no givers. I've decided not to update this story until I get some love in the white box below. I see tons of people are reading this, so I know you like it. Be part of the review revolution.


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